


The Head of the Uzumaki Clan

by Cryonites



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fuuinjutsu, Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Red-Haired Uzumaki Naruto, Uzumaki Clan-centric, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-26 04:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30100626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryonites/pseuds/Cryonites
Summary: As an infant, it was decided that Naruto Uzumaki would rebuild the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha, as well as bearing the burden of being a jinchuriki. He's a child born from the waves, and in the tumultuous storm that is his life, he will be the one to change the tide of the shinobi world.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

It was the morning after the nine-tailed fox's attack. Konoha was in a panicked frenzy, but a depressing aura was prevalent everywhere. After the attack, the fourth Hokage dies, with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, taking up once again the mantle of Hokage. In his arms was Naruto Uzumaki, the son of the now-deceased fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki. This small infant with flaming red hair was peacefully snoozing in the Hokage' arms. 

The Hokage carefully rocked the infant. "ANBU. Take this child while I attend the meeting. Guard him with your life." The ANBU nodded and clumsily took the infant, who immediately started crying.

Leaving his office, the Hokage went into the council chamber. Two ANBUs nodded and opened the doors for him. In the council chamber were the village elders, comprising of Homura, Koharu, and Danzo. With them were the clan heads of the Inuzuka, Akimichi, Nara, Aburame, Yamanaka, Uchiha and Hyuga clans. 

Sarutobi gracefully entered the room and sat down, with all the other members of the council facing him. Everyone in the room had grave faces. Sarutobi began with the normal speech: the village was devastated, shinobi forces took a big hit, and the loss of the fourth Hokage. After this speech, which lasted around half an hour, Sarutobi touched the touchy subject of Naruto. "What I'm about to say is extremely important. It will be regarded as an S-class secret." At this, everyone in the room looked intrigued, and in some cases, nervous. " As I have told you, the fourth Hokage killed the Kyuubi. That was a lie." As Sarutobi suspected, there was a loud general gasp at this new pit of information. He sighed and took a long drag on his pipe. "In reality, the fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi in an infant: Naruto Uzumaki. He is our new jinchuuriki."

This information was followed by a generally visible shock, and many eyebrows furrowed. Sarutobi knew this would happen, but could only hope for the better. He saw that Fugaku Uchiha's eyes narrowed a bit, but the other clan heads were concerned. Sarutobi continued. " I believe that Naruto should be raised at an orphanage until old enough to live by himself and go to the academy, or not if he chooses not to. We won't be telling him about his "tenant" until..."

"*cough *cough"

Everyone in the room turned to see who coughed, in a manner to catch everyone's attention. Oddly enough it was Danzo. Sarutobi's eyes narrowed as nothing good could come from Danzo's plans. Ignoring the Hokage's look, Danzo pressed on. " I believe that there is a better way for this. I suggest naming Naruto Uzumaki the clan head of the Uzumaki Clan." Everyone looked surprised, even Sarutobi. Not relenting, Danzo continued to prove his point. " All jinchuuriki are flight risks, but having a clan could make him more attached to Konoha. Secondly, the introduction of a powerful and renowned clan like the Uzumaki Clan would possibly deter any future attacks on Konoha. Thirdly, he could possibly have an aptitude in juinjutsu, barrier ninjutsu, and most importantly fuinjutsu, a department that Konoha is severely lacking in. Lastly, should Naruto produce any children, they could be compatible with the Kyuubi, ensuring Konoha a powerful military force." All the members of the council were looking very interested and eager to include this proposal, except for Tsume Inuzuka, the Hokage, and Fugaku. Tsume spoke up. " I respect your decision Danzo, but what even is the Uzumaki clan?" 

At this the Hokage replied. " The Uzumaki were a powerful clan hailing from the land of Whirlpools. They were particularly adept at fuinjutsu, which provoked the fear of many countries. These fearful countries attacked the land of Whirlpools and Uzushiogakure, almost destroying their clan. Thus the surviving members scattered. Konoha and the Uzumaki Clan had a very tight-knit relationship: the Senju Clan were related to them, and Hashirama Senju, the fist Hokage, married Mito Uzumaki. Also, the circular symbol on the back of Konoha flak jackets is the Uzumaki clan symbol." Tsume and the other clan leaders were shocked at this revelation. Others, however, were miffed. Fugaku didn't look too impressed and the Hyuga Clan head wasn't too impressed.

Taking a long drag from his pipe, the Hokage reflected on this. All that Danzo was saying was true, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. " We shall cast a vote deciding whether or not Naruto will become the new Heir of the reformed Uzumaki clan. All for it, raise your hands." Danzo, Koharu, Tsume, the Akimichi, Nara, and Yamanaka voted for. "And who is against?" Homura, Fugaku and Hiashi Hyuga raised their hands. The Aburame abstained. It was in favor of Danzo's plan, and Sarutobi begrudgingly agreed. Fugaku simply scowled.

The Hokage continued with Danzo's plan. " Then I think that the new Uzumaki Clan's compound should be where the shrine is located. Naruto will live there under supervision until a reasonable age. We will have to make sure that the building is renovated. Any objections?" Fugaku simply smiled learning that the brat would be living outside the village's walls. Then that matter is settled.

After that, the meeting continued for a few hours until it reached its conclusion.

Sarutobi tiredly walked back to his office, where the poor ANBU was desperately trying to calm the wailing child. With a small smile, the Hokage sat behind his desk.

" Kakashi, I have a request for you, but first take off your mask." The ANBU did as was asked and took off his mask, revealing a fairly young boy, around the age of 14, with a scar on his left eye and a pack covering everything under his nose. " Kakashi, how would you feel... protecting your Sensei's son?"

At that question, Kakashi's eyes widened. This was like a dream come true. " Your mission will last at least 5 years, during which you'll protect Naruto Uzumaki and his nurse, should we find one."

Kakashi eagerly nodded but was confused by Naruto's name. "Why Uzumaki sir, ad not Namikaze?" The Hokage sighed. " If it were to be learned that Minato had a son, many of his enemies might want to harm the boy. And there's also the fact that Naruto is now the Uzumaki Clan Head.

The Hokage let that information sink in, as Kakashi's eyes widened. It seemed that the world worked in mysterious ways. Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, the son of the fourth Hokage, AND the Uzumaki Clan head! Kakashi truly realized Naruto's value.

"So Kakashi, do you accept?" Kakashi pondered on the ones he lost. Rin, Obito, his father, his mother, and his sensei. Maybe Naruto could be the one there for him. " I accept this mission Lod Hokage. Could I request that another trusted ANBU help me?"

"Permission granted, but run it first down by me. Naruto must stay safe."

As if on cue, Naruto started bawling and the duo quickly tried to calm him. These were going to be a long 5 years.

(At an Undisclosed Location)

Danzo was extremely pleased. His plan worked marvelously. The introduction of the Uzumaki Clan could only prove to be beneficial for Konoha. He could also try and manipulate the jinchuuriki away from the Hokage. It was a dream come true.

" Lizard, Salamander!" yelled Danzo. " I want you to put the new Uzumaki compound under constant surveillance."

" Yes, my lord!" replied the two ROOT members with a flat voice.

Danzo kept smiling. How fruitful this plan will be. Now even the Uchiha are unhappy. This could tie in another one of his projects...


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi was going outside of the village, towards the outskirts, with a small bundle in his arms. The said bundle was Naruto, with his short fiery red hair discreetly poking out. Kakashi walked on a dark dirt path, the moon is the only light source. The path is surrounded by tall trees, swaying in the wind. After having walked around 30 minutes, they arrived.

When the Hokage mentioned that the shrine needed renovation, Kakashi couldn't possibly imagine it was this bad.   
The building was a dangerous hazard, and in no way fit for the home of a small child. Walking inside, and ignoring the holes in the floor, he understood why the structure was called the Uzumaki Clan's Mask Temple. In the middle of the largest room was a wall full of the creepiest masks Kakashi has ever seen. On the left was an enormous library and to the right was a room filled with junk. Kakashi decided that the right room would be his and Naruto's bedroom. With nowhere to put Naruto, Kakashi summoned his dogs. All eight of them appeared.

"Yo Kakashi, what do you need?" asked a small brown pug.

"Pakkun, I need you to protect this baby for a while. He's really important." Pakkun nodded and relayed the message to the other ninken. Kakashi carefully placed the sleeping child in front of Pakkun. Kakashi went and started to take the boxes out of the bedroom. Most of it was junk, but he did find a couple of interesting things, such as Mito Uzumaki's seal-like kanzashi, a couple of traditional Uzumaki attire, a couple of Tanto blades, more scrolls to put in the library and a kusarigama, though he was concerned about that last one. He moved all the worthwhile memorabilia in the library, until finding a more permanent solution, and put all the useless things outside.

It was around 5 in the morning when Kakashi finally finished arranging. Now all he had to do was wait for somebody to renovate the crumbling structure and get the essentials for the house, such as toiletries, cribs, beds, food, and medicine, among other things. The Hokage kindly gave Kakashi a budget, and Naruto would inherit his parents' money, even though it will be forbidden to name his father. It was a shame, but baby Naruto seemed to be a carbon copy of his mother, but with his father's eyes.

A nurse was also supposed to arrive, but that could take a bit of time. The newborn needed as much support as possible.

While talking with Pakkun and waiting for anyone with information, Kakashi felt something was off. After a quick look around, he noticed an ANBU in the trees watching over the house. This was reassuring yet very unnerving. These were probably Danzo's men. And whatever he has in mind is no good. 

(7 A.M.)

After having waited over 2 hours for the Hokage, he finally arrived. 

Kakashi didn't know what the purpose of this meeting was, but he knew that it was important. Whilst the dogs were caring for Naruto, Kakashi bowed to the Hokage. 

" Kakashi, I brought various scrolls belonging to Naruto's parents, Mito Uzumaki, and from Tsunade. I'm sure she won't mind. What do you think will Naruto need?"

Kakashi started using the ANBU sign language. " 2 other ANBU are present." Nodding, Sarutobi told him to continue. Kakashi spoke. " Besides renovating this awful building, I think that money for essentials should be fine."

"I understand Kakashi. Naruto will receive money monthly for what he needs. I have already appointed a nurse, all you have to do is protect him. But Kakashi... don't talk about Minato or Kushina. And don't remove your mask. I know you want to but don't. He'll learn about this later."

Kakashi nodded and took the scrolls. He turned his back to the Hokage and went to check up on his new charge. This will prove to be interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

(6 Years Later)

A young boy with straight red hair was currently running. He was wearing a navy t-shirt with the Uzumaki clan symbol on the back. He also had bright orange pants. This boy is Naruto Uzumaki. 

After 6 years, the Uzumaki Clan's compound greatly changed. The Uzumaki Shrine was fully restored and no longer looked like a strong gust of wind could destroy it. In addition to that, to the left of the building was a new building. This new building was comprised of Naruto's room and the various other guest rooms, along with a living room. The library still remained in the shrine, or also known as the main building. On the right of the building was also a new structure. This one contained the dining hall and Naruto's office. It was odd for a 6-year-old to have an office, but that's what it was. The entire compound was walled off to provide secrecy.

Kakashi personally thought that the compound was a bit overkill for only one person living there, but he couldn't do much about it. 

Back to our story, Naruto was running in the garden, kunai in hand, being chased by Kakashi, our as Naruto called him, ANBU-san. Kakashi genuinely didn't know how Naruto got ahold of a weapon, but toddlers running with sharp things is never a good thing. Kakashi quickly used the shunshin to end the toddler's mischief. He appeared in front of the boy, grabbed his hand and yanked him up, forcing him to drop the kunai. The boy was let down and fell on his ass while pouting.

"ANBU-san, why did you do that? I was just trying to practice a bit!" No response came from the ANBU, like usual. "I just want to get stronger y' know. I want to be the strongest clan head ever!" Kakashi rolled his eyes, having heard this a thousand times from the boy. People in the village never talked about the Uzumaki Clan, and that pissed Naruto off. He WILL make them notice his clan. Naruto would be starting the academy once he's 7 or 8, but even now he wants to train. What a handful.

Still pouting, Naruto got some paper sheets, ink, and a brush. Whenever Kakashi would refuse to train him, he would practice his skill in fuinjutsu. He learned of the art while reading a family scroll, and decided to be the greatest seal master.

"What can I say, Naruto's ambitious..." Kakashi thought.

Naruto constantly practiced his calligraphy in order to make the best seals possible, in the future. He as an avid reader, reading all the scrolls he could understand in the library.

All in all, Naruto was happy. His childhood, however, was rough. Whenever he went to the village, everyone turned their backs on him. They constantly mocked him because of his tenant. Some even thought that Naruto was the Kyuubi incarnate. This caused many people to alienate him and grow up friendless. 

But instead of this discouraging Naruto, it only stoked his want to prove them wrong. And so Naruto wants to be the Hokage, the best clan leader and the best fuinjutsu user ever. 

Because of his "tenant", Naruto doesn't have any friends. Most parents ignored him or told their kids to be mean to him. But they couldn't do much about that.

"Hey, ANBU-san, I want to go to the park! Can we go? Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase?"

(A.N. I truly hate it when small children do that obnoxious "pleeeeeeeaaaaaase")

Kakashi simply nodded and Naruto went running outside, taking his calligraphy kit with him.

After a long walk, they entered Konoha. Naruto walked alone as Kakahi shadowed him. The villagers never liked Naruto, but he didn't know why. So he wanted to go to the park as fast as possible. 

At the park, he started running and jumping around, seeing if anyone wanted to play with him. Unfortunately, the parents took their children away and forbade them from playing with him as soon as they saw him. 

Aways from him was a boy, his age, with dark hair and onyx eyes. Naruto tentatively approached him from the back. 

" Hey! What's your name?"

The dark-haired boy turned around and saw a boy of his age with long, straight, fiery hair. On his face were what seemed to be whiskers. He didn't think that he knew him.

" My name's Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha. And you?"

" Uh... 'name's Naruto Uzumaki. Do you wanna play?" said Naruto with his trademark foxy smile.

" Do you want to train instead?"

At that, our red-headed hero lit up and nodded his head violently. " Are you trying to be a ninja too?" 

The dark-haired boy smiled and took out a kunai. " Let's go!"

(A.N. Remember Sasuke isn't emo yet)

The two boys went towards the woods to train. Kakashi was still shadowing Naruto but gave him some privacy. Sasuke's mom Mikoto saw him leave and kept watching him out of the corner of her eye.

The two boys were throwing shuriken and kunai at a wooden board. Sasuke was quite good at it for his age, but Naruto sucked.

" Urghh, why can't I get it? This is so much harder than fuinjutsu!"

"Fuinjutsu? What's that?"

" You don't know what fuinjutsu is? Its a category of Jutsu involving seals! I can even make exploding tags, but don't tell ANBU-san!" replied Naruto with a devious smile. Without ANBU-san knowing, he started making explosive tags, even if they didn't always work.

" That's so cool! I'll ask my brother about it! Do you wanna train here again tomorrow?"

"Sure, see you Sasuke!" And just like that he left, happy that he made his first friend.

Unfortunately for him, Kakashi heard the entire conversation. He was pissed that Naruto went behind his back to make explosive tags but also proud that at the age of 6 he could make them. AND he made a friend. It was an overall victory but Kakashi will reprimand the poor fool that is Naruto. 

(Later at the Uchiha compound)

The Uchiha family were peacefully eating their dinner. Fugaku and Mikoto were eating in silence, but Itachi and Sasuke were in a deep conversation.

" I've been meaning to ask you something big brother!"

" What is it Sasuke?"

" What's fuinjutsu?"

At this question, Itachi stopped eating, put down his chopsticks, and ponder on it a bit. 

" Fuinjutsu is a delicate and difficult branch of ninjutsu used to seal things. Why do you ask?"

At this, their parents were slightly intrigued, though they didn't show it.

" I made a new friend at the park! He was reeeeaaally bad at throwing shurikens and kunai, but he said he could make explosive tags! He was really nice!"

Itachi's eyebrows raised slightly. The choice of words was particular. Sasuke said that his friend could 'make' explosive tags, not use them.

"Well, he seems to be very skilled in that domain. Some people are better in some areas than others, while they're worse in other categories. What was your friend's name?"

"Naruto! Naruto Uzumaki."

Thanks for reading! As always, feel free to comment or give criticism.


	4. Chapter 4

The Uchiha family were all very surprised at the revelation of who Sasuke's friend was. Fugaku had planned it, of course, but to think that his plan would come to fruition so soon... It was a bit off-putting. The night breeze made the deafening silence all the more palpable, and Sasuke was starting to get worried.

Fugaku had to choose his words very carefully, as to not scare off Sasuke, but to make sure that he and the jinchuriki maintained their relationship.

' That's very interesting Sasuke. I think that he might be a friend of your caliber.'

Sasuke's eyes widened. His father usually dismissed all his other friends as beneath him, but he recognized Naruto.

' Ummm, Father. Would it be possible for me to go on a playdate with him?'

Fugaku waited a while before he gently nodded. Sasuke's face lit up. ' We'll bring you there tomorrow Sasuke, as long as you ask if you can come first. Now go to bed, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow.'

Sasuke nodded and rushed out, barely containing his excitement. Fugaku turned to Mikoto and said, ' Now that we have contact with Konoha's jinchuriki, we could use him against the village, in due time of course.' Mikoto nodded while Itachi stayed silent. Tomorrow was going to be a big day indeed.

The Next Day

Mikoto, Fugaku, and Sasuke were both standing outside the Uchiha compound. After having contacted Naruto and found his address, the trio was going to walk there. They started walking and reached the main gate of Konoha. Mikoto had a gift in her arms while Sasuke walked in front of his parents. He had asked for Naruto's address and was surprised it was outside of Konoha. They walked for a good half hour until they arrived at their destination: The Uzumaki Clan Mask Storage Temple. Fugaku thought it was a dumb name for a home, but he couldn't do much about that.

Fugaku knocked at the massive gate in front of the "Temple" and waited. Shortly after, the gate opened and they saw Naruto. The crimson-haired boy smiled and waved at Sasuke who waved back.

' Hey Naruto, these are my parents.' Sasuke's mom waved at Naruto and smiled gently while his dad nodded. 

Naruto invited them into the garden/courtyard, and then into the main building. The main building, otherwise known as the temple or shrine had one large room when you came in. Its most prominent feature was a wall lined with Oni masks. Ah. So that's where the name comes from, thought Fugaku. Sasuke looked at the wall and was seriously creeped out.

' Naruto. What are those masks?'

' I don't really know but I do know that they've been here for a while and that they're kinda sacred. I wouldn't touch them if I were you though.'

Sasuke nodded, but Fugaku's gaze lingered on them for a short while. Turning, he followed Naruto and they went back outside, where Sasuke and Naruto were playing and throwing shuriken. 

This continued for some time, with the parents watching, until Fugaku felt someone's presence. Looking up, he saw an ANBU on the roof. The ANBU nodded when their gazes met and were observing the kids, specifically Naruto.

Ah, so this was Naruto's caretaker.

This greatly complicated things, but it made sense that the jinchuriki was under the Hokage's thumb.

A large explosion alerted him and saw that the Uzumaki brat was making explosive tags. The grass was singed and the boys' faces were covered in black soot but looked proud of themselves. It seems the Uzumaki was taking pieces of paper, and making explosive tags. Basic, but impressive for a 6-year-old. Mikoto, however, didn't look too pleased that her son was meddling with literal bombs, and put a stop to it very quickly.

This didn't deter the boys, however, and a quick snake hand seal later, Naruto was making the explosive tags explode remotely.

Oh well.

After a couple of hours of horseplay, Sasuke left the place; happy, but exhausted.

' Sasuke, I think that it is very important that you maintain a good relationship with him ok.'

' Yes, father.' After the long walk back, Sasuke was truly happy to find a friend.

And Naruto was much the same, happy that his empty shrine lived a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto was now 8 and going to the academy. His repertoire of Jutsu grew slightly, from only being able to use explosion tags, to be able to make gravity seals and, to a certain extent, make storage seals. It has been a couple of years since ANBU-san has left him, 6 years old was enough to be able to live alone apparently. But instead of being lonely, he had at least one friend: Sasuke.

The school was hard, especially math and science, but he pulled through. He sucked at taijutsu and shurikenjutsu, but he was acceptable in the rest. He wasn't a dead-last but was more middle of the pack.

He and Sasuke continued training together. Sasuke was still better at him, but Naruto strived to surpass his friend and rival.

Unfortunately, many of his teachers disliked him and wanted to foil his studies. Repeatedly teachers tried to trick him, change his grade, or his test. Naruto still didn't know why they did that, but at least his homeroom teacher Iruka was nice.

You can say that everything was going on relatively well for our little clan head, until one day.

It was a morning like any other at school. Birds were chirping, the wind was blowing, etc, etc.

After his long walk to school, Naruto arrived at the school. For once the mothers didn't look at him in fear, but they were still whispering. They all shared a somber loo, even the teachers.

Looking for his friend, Naruto ran into Shikamaru and Choji.

Choji was a rotund kid, always eating from a bag of chips. He stood next to his best friend Shikamaru. Shikamaru, on the other hand, was lean and had a smart look about him. Unfortunately, he was lazy as hell. The duo were also some of Naruto's friends, but to a lesser extent than Sasuke.

Speaking of Sasuke, he was standing in the shade, a little away from everyone. Seeing him, he ran up to Sasuke.

" Hey, Sasuke! Do you wanna come train with me after school?

Silence.

' Come on, do you want to or not?'

Silence.

' Answer me, you wannabe emo bastard!'

Silence.

The message that Sasuke was upset finally dawned on our red-headed boy, and lowered his voice, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

' Hey man, are you alright?'

Silence.

Naruto gently patted Sasuke on the back until he spoke.

' My brother... he killed them.'

' Them? Who's them?'

' My clan. All of them, except me.'

Naruto was shocked. He couldn't believe it. He had only met Itachi twice, so he wasn't familiar with him, but he was gentle and caring with Sasuke. Why would he do this? Sasuke's nice mom, his stern yet caring dad, his entire clan. 

Sasuke got up from where he was and didn't even look at Naruto.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After that, Naruto was all alone again. No ANBU-san, no Sasuke, just him and the occasional visit from grandpa Hokage. He wasn't completely alone though, he had fuinjutsu. Naruto will make Sasuke notice him, and to that, he has to be the strongest. 

He worked hard, learned more in the art of fuinjutsu, so much so that even gramps was impressed, but Sasuke still ignored him.

One hot, sticky summer day, Naruto was in his garden exercising. His shirt was damp with sweat, and it made him uncomfortable. So he took it off.

Naruto practiced the jutsus the Academy taught him, so he was molding chakra. That's when he noticed it: when he molded chakra, something appeared on his stomach. And not just anything, but a seal!

Naruto vaguely recognized it, it seemed to be a trigram seal of sorts, and it was very powerful. But what could be sealed in him?

Naruto immediately put a shirt on and took off towards the Hokage's office. It took him half an hour, but he arrived and stormed up the building. The building's receptionist quickly intercepted him, however, and told him to wait until the Hokage was ready.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Naruto was finally let in the old man's office.

The Hokage's office was a fairly empty room, with only pictures of the previous Hokage on the wall, and the Hokage's desk, littered with papers. The desk was in front of large windows that had a beautiful view of the village.

The 3rd Hokage, the current one, was an elderly man with wrinkles around his eyes, but his face carried a pleasant demeanor.

' What is it Naruto? You seemed in a rush to see me. Is everything alright?' The 3rd gently cocked his head on the side and looked at Naruto quizzically.

' Hey, Gramps... uhh is there somethin' sealed in me?'

There was a deafening silence that ensued. On the outside, Hiruzen looked composed, but on the inside, one word rang inside his head: Fuck.

Naruto continued to look at the Hokage in the eyes, with his shining blue orbs and had a pleading look on his face. Hiruzen on the other hand didn't know how to deal with this.

Hiruzen sighed and started talking. The night of the Nine-tails attack, the fourth Hokage's sacrifice, and how he sealed the Nine-tails in Naruto.

' So that's why you have a seal Naruto. But remember, you are NOT the Nine-tails, a scroll with a kunai sealed in it is not a kunai.'

Naruto was shocked. He stayed silent as he mulled over all the new information, with tears threatening to spill.

Naruto's voice was hoarse when he asked his next question.

' So who was the jinchur-something before me?'

' The jinchuriki before you was Kushina Uzumaki, your mother. And before her was Mito Uzumaki, the wife of the 1st Hokage.'

Naruto's mouth became wide and his eyes shined. His voice croaked as he spoke. ' My mom? Who was she?'

Hiruzen gave Naruto a kind and knowing smile. ' Kushina was a skilled and beautiful jinchuriki, and with a fiery temper that almost matched her hair. She was called "the Red Hot Habanero".' Hiruzen looked vaguely into the distance as if he could see Kushina punching boys that wear mocking her.

' A-and how about my dad?' Naruto looked up hopefully, but Hiruzen's lips turned into a thin line.

' That's neither here nor there Naruto, we'll talk about that at a later date, but right now-'

' But I WANT to know!' Why would the old man keep even more secrets from him? Why?

Hiruzen sighed. He's trying to be as sympathetic as possible, but Naruto is making it difficult. 

' I promise I'll tell you later Naruto, so please stop acting like a child. Take a couple of deep breaths and calm down.'

Naruto huffed and did just that, still glaring at the Hokage while doing so. A tense silence followed, only to be interrupted by sniffles.

' Why only Uzumakis?'

Hiruzen pondered a bit on that question. ' I believe it's because some members of the Uzumaki clan have a special chakra that's ideal to suppress the Nine-tails. The Fourth Hokage sealed it into you as a last resort.'

Naruto nodded and got up, still trying not to cry, and left without saying a word. Hiruzn sighed before calling for the village elders.

The trio of elders was not a pleasant bunch, as they were all cold-hearted. Putting the village above the lives of others seemed to be their specialty.

Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo Shimura were their names, and they all served with Hiruzen in the past. But their friendship under the Second Hokage was in the past, and the present was much grimmer.

' Why have you summoned us Hiruzen? Is there a matter so important as to summon all of Konoha's council on such a short notice?' asked Homura, a man with grey hair, a beard, glasses as well as a constant frown that has been present all his life. He also has a strong jaw-line, something that makes him look even more skeletal than he already was.

Hiruzen sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. After closing his eyes for a brief moment, he looked back up and spoke.

' It seems that young Naruto has discovered his status as a jinchuriki. He didn't take it well, but it will have to do.'

If the council members were surprised, they didn't show it. This was very important news, however, as Naruto was a key player in terms of military power.

' I'll post my ANBU around Naruto's house, just in case.' Said Danzo.

As much as he hated to admit it, Hiruzen knew this was the right move. All he could do now was to make sure that nothing spirals out of control...


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto ran away until he reached a clearing in the forest near his house. Crying and sniffling, the moon reflected off of his tears. Naruto always felt lonely, Anbu-san was just there, not as a parent but more like a warden. But the feeling of being completely alone was crushing him. And the revelation of him being a jinchuriki weighed heavily on him. Naruto was sure that nobody was around him to hear him cry, but whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

Naruto also felt angry, the suffering he endured at the hands of the villagers, his ostracization, and how the fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi when he was a baby. A baby! Was that man that heartless?

Naruto's thoughts strayed to his mom. He had always wondered about them, looking if anyone in the streets of Konoha looked remotely like him, but to no avail. But now he had a name: Kushina. And she was like him. Was she this sad when she was Naruto's age?

Huddled next to a tree, Naruto cried and cried for what seemed like hours. He eventually tired himself out and passed out, head resting on a tree's trunk.

Naruto was currently soundly asleep but found himself in a sewer. It was odd because he was sure that he slept in a forest. Confused, Naruto started walking in the sewer complex, where a couple of inches of water sloshed around endlessly. Pipes were on the ceiling and cold concrete lined the floors and walls.

After walking for a long time, Naruto came into a large area. The room was extremely large and had one important feature: the massive bars that were present. Carefully approaching the cage, Naruto stopped in his tracks when he saw something shift in the dark. A moment later, a massive red eye came into view.

As Naruto crept closer and closer to the cage, he saw who it contained: a massive fox. A red-orange fox with black fur around its eyes that stretched up to its ears, and nine long swiping tails.

It wasn't any fox, it was the nine-tailed fox. The Kyuubi.

' So you have come to visit me, jailer.' The monstrous creature rasped out. Its voice was silky, yet laced with malice.

Naruto was terrified. Every cell in his body was screaming at him, telling him to run away. Tears threatened to spill, yet Naruto stepped forward and put on a fake smile.

' I-I'm Naruto Uzumaki, your jinchuriki. Are you the Kyuubi? And where are we?'

' Foolish boy, we are in your subconscious. And yes, I am the Kyuubi, the incarnation of hatred and anger in the world.'

Naruto was still terrified and wanted to run away, but decided to stay put. ' Do you have a name? You talk so you're not dumb or anything ya know.'

At this, the fox was greatly irritated. Underneath his irritation was pleasant surprise and confusion. Maybe this jinchuriki won't be as utterly useless as Kushina.

' Human! Know your place! We are not friends, you and me. I yearn for the opportunity where I can take control of you and consume your soul.'

At this, the young jinchuriki was petrified. He felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness at the thought of himself dying. However, he noticed the Kyuubi answered his previous questions, so he opted to continue his miniature interrogation.

' Doesn't it suck to be trapped here?'

' Huh? YOU are asking me that? I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you or the fourth! You are brave and foolish to ask me such questions. But, I will reward you for coming this far. I will grant you a gift, something you lack. The ability to sense negative emotions. Mito used this power, but not that well. It's up to you now. Begone!'

And with that, Naruto woke up with a start in the forest again. The Kyuubi laid back down to sleep, fostering its hate and resentment for the opportune moment. Maybe he shouldn't have given the boy the ability to access Negative Emotion Sensing, but he felt that the boy was different from the previous jinchuriki. For the better or worse, he'll be watching him, but he still desired something before that: freedom.

Naruto speedily ran back to his abode and locked himself in his room, going over what he just experienced. Evening out his breathing, Naruto recalled now being able to sense negative emotions. Was it like a switch, something he could turn on or off? Or was it innate? He would have to ask the Kyuubi again.

He was still angry about his newfound condition as a jinchuriki, but that was the way it is. He was only 8 after all.

Huffing, he went into the library to get the scrolls he needed to practice fuinjutsu. As he entered the room, a lone figure was already there, staring him down. It was an old man, much older than the Hokage, in a custard kimono and red haori. He had long billowing white hair and a blank gaze. He had a katana on his left side.

Naruto immediately tensed up, and the stranger took one step forward. Then another, then another. He cornered the young clan head in a corner. After staring at him for a while, he spoke.

' I heard that the Uzumaki clan was reformed, with you being its head. I am Yoriichi Uzumaki, and I'll teach you everything I know. Come outside boy, you have much to learn.'


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto followed Yoriichi into the garden. The older shinobi stood tall and introduced himself.

' I've been wandering the lands for a while after Uzushio was destroyed. I am not a direct relative of yours, but I am an Uzumaki. I heard of the Uzumaki clan being reborn in Konoha, so here I am. I will instruct you in kenjutsu, fuinjutsu, and everything Uzumaki-related, and whatever will help you survive. I brought a bokken. I'll show you the katas and you will copy me.'

The man, Yoriichi was a stern and no-nonsense type of person. He showed Naruto what to do, and Naruto would copy.

And so commenced the years spent between the two. Over time, Naruto grew fond of his new grandfather figure, as his relationship with the Hokage soured. The man said a few words, but when he did, they had a profound impact on Naruto. The boy never told the man he was a jinchuriki, but he was pretty sure that the man knew.

Naruto grew more and more skilled in kenjutsu, but nowhere close to Yoriichi's level. The man also taught him the art of sealing, something that books could only take him so far in. Chakra control and taijutsu were also important, but not as important as the former subjects. 

Yoriichi soon discovered how behind Naruto was in academics, and the elderly man took it upon himself to teach the boy. But what Naruto liked the most about his caretaker were his stories, and especially the history of the Uzumaki clan. He also appreciated the adages and sayings with references to tides and whirlpools, as a sort of inside joke (Though it did take a long time for Naruto to understand what metaphors were).

And time passed

Yoriichi told him that he was not a seal master, just fairly decent. He specialized in body seals, in which a person would seal something on themselves to aid them in combat. A dangerous practice, but one that reaped many benefits.

He learned many new things (no Jutsu much to his disappointment) but was also taught how to be an adequate clan leader.

All in all, many things.

One day, when Naruto was 9 after the villagers were particularly mean, Yoriichi dispelled his usual wise words.

' There's no point in fighting the tide. It ebbs. It flows. You ride it Naruto. And one day, the tide might recognize you.'

Naruto dumbly nodded, barely understanding the words.

Yoriichi also wrote down the techniques he knew and added them to the library so that Naruto could learn them in due time.

But like all things, nothing is eternal. Like all old men, Yoriichi died. Of old age.

He had been sick for some time but never appeared so in front of Naruto. It was hidden beneath the surface, like an iceberg. But Naruto knew, and he cared for him during his last days, as he cared for Naruto as a child.

By now, Naruto was 11 and almost a genin. Yoriichi's parting gifts were his sword, kind words, a soft smile, and a Uzushiogakure headband.

Naruto buried him himself in the garden. The grave was a simple stone that read Yoriichi Uzumaki. Some flowers were planted next to the body. Naruto was devastated but opted to continue like Yoriichi wanted him to. 

He will become a genin no matter what.

A.N Next chapter the fun really begins. This fic is not my main one, sorry for the few updates. Mizuki time!


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto had was currently in class, looking out the window. He was ostracized by most of his classmates and ignored by his teachers. Iruka was nice to him, but that was about it. His other teacher, Mizuki, feigned kindness, but Naruto could feel and sense the evil within him. Ever since his meeting with the Kyuubi, he could sense all negative emotions, be they anger, hatred, grief, envy, despair, emotional corruption, or ill-intent towards Naruto.

This ability, which Naruto dubbed Negative Emotion Sensing, could only be activated if he really thought about it, but when the negative emotions are too strong, he still feels them. It was a not-so passive ability then. Speaking of the wrathful furball, Naruto's visits to him were sparse over the course of these 3 years. He popped in maybe once every 3 months at best, only to be met with contempt.

Sighing, Naruto turned to face the blackboard. He took out a piece of paper and took out his usual writing kit. He started to make a simple blinding seal, and as the name implies, blinds a person when activated. It was his favorite seal at the moment, as it could be activated upon contact, by chakra, or whenever Naruto made a specific hand sign.

In terms of fuinjutsu, Naruto could perform the Evil Sealing Method, the titular Uzumaki Technique (the only sealing technique that Naruto's master forced him to learn without fail), the Chakra Draining Seal, the Sealing Technique: Release, and other less powerful ones, like those used in explosive tags, scrolls and the like.

His grades and taijutsu had greatly improved, and he was well versed in the Uzumaki taijutsu and kenjutsu styles. Nowhere near mastery, but passable. Naruto possesses an enormous talent in fuinjutsu, something that is unrecognized by his peers. And his ninjutsu...

His chakra control was shot and adding his large chakra reserves, it was nigh impossible for him to do mere academy techniques. Which was another benefit of fuinjutsu: he could pour so much chakra in it, and it would only make the seal stronger, not defective like that stupid clone Jutsu.

Finally, the bell rang, and so Naruto went to a place he hasn't been in recent months: the Hokage's tower. Ever since his discovery of his status as a jinchuriki, the two had a bit of a falling out, but nothing too bad. He still popped in once in a while.

Waiting for a while in the reception area, enduring the disdain of the secretary and clerks, Naruto finally was able to meet his "gramps".

' Oh Naruto! It has been quite a while since I've seen you. And you've grown up so much! Practically unrecognizable.' He gave a jovial smile and took a puff out of his pipe.

When he noticed that Naruto was lacking his normal fiery behavior, he knew something was wrong.

Pouting a bit, Naruto cut straight to the point.

' I think Mizuki-sensei wants to hurt me.'

The Hokage was shocked and leaned back into his chair. ' That is a very serious accusation, Naruto. If you're lying...'

Naruto bit his lip and shook his head. ' I can't really explain it that well, but I can feel the evil within him. It's like his soul is corrupted. Whenever I'm near him, red energy spills out of his body. It's scary. I think it's greed and hatred.'

Hiruzen was afraid. Very afraid. Mizuki being hostile to Naruto wasn't the best thing in the world, but it might be that Mizuki is a traitor. THAT was worrying and unacceptable. And to add more to his plate, Naruto now has Mito's ability. That clearly meant that either the jinchuriki and the tailed beast were getting into sync at a faster rate, or that the Kyuubi's influence was starting to weaken the seal, which was not a pleasant thought.

Feigning a smile, the elderly man invited the boy to sit on a chair in front of him. The child pushed his red hair that framed his face out of the way.

' So, tell me Naruto. What do you think of Mizuki?'

The boy pouted and looked pissed. ' He's a bastard, dattebayo. Always mean to me, and only me. Even if I do nothing wrong, he still gets angry at me. But it's weird... he keeps watching me. Not out of anger or fear... more like he's waiting for something.'

If Mizuki was indeed a traitor and wanted to do something to the village's jinchuriki... this could not come to pass. There needs to be an investigation. The Hokage gave the side-eye to the ANBU in the room, and they instantly understood, leaving both Naruto and the Hokage alone.

' Well, Naruto, how are your classes going? Studying hard?'

The kid huffed. ' Yeah, but I can't do the academy three. I've got too much chakra to be able to do such small jutsus. So can you...'

' No. I won't show favoritism and teach you anything. Sorry.'

' Ughhh, you're no fun.' 

' I won't budge. Try me. In the meantime, tell me about your progress in fuinjutsu. I'm eager to see what you taught yourself.'

Naruto smiled shyly. ' Tons of cool shit.'

' Naruto! Language!'

The academy student burst out laughing, clutching at his sides. ' Sorry, sorry. I learned a couple sealing methods, mainly the classic Uzumaki one.' Naruto lied about the extent of his knowledge, which the third Hokage picked up on, but didn't press the matter anymore. 

' In any case, thank you for bringing this up to me. Who knows what could've happened had you not intervened. Run along now, I'm busy.'

' But!'

' No buts!'

Naruto simmered with anger and poked his tongue out as he left the office. Damn that old fool.

Hiruzen, on the other hand, was extremely stressed out. Mizuki... who influenced him to become a traitor? Was it his former student? The Tsuchikage?

An ANBU came in the window. ' Mizuki ran away. We are unable to locate him at the moment. It seems that he was a sleeper agent for someone. Should I alert Lord Danzo of this?'

' Yes. Call the other ANBU, and make sure that Danzo enters my office as soon as possible. We can't have an information leak, no matter how small it is.'

' Yes, Lord Hokage.'

With a quick shunshin, the man disappeared. 10 minutes later, Danzo Shimura arrived, somber as ever. He lost his eyepatch from yesteryear, replacing it with a bandage around his eye.

' Why have you summoned me, Hiruzen?' Straight to the point, as always.

' Mizuki, a chunin from the Academy, has been revealed as a traitor and is currently fleeing. I've sent ANBU teams to retrieve him.'

' And who discovered such a critical flaw in our defense?'

' Naruto.'

Danzo leaned his head back in his habitual fashion, mulling over the words he just received. ' Yes, the jinchuriki. Pray tell, how did he discover this?'

' Naruto, not "jinchuriki", seems to have gained Mito's ability to sense evil and corruption around oneself.'

' In other words, he's a sensor? I welcome the news greatly, but make sure that that chunin dies, Hiruzen.'

' You don't have to tell me.'

.

Elsewhere

Naruto was casually heading back to his home on this fine evening. His home was as far away as possible from the rest of the village, so it always took a good long while to go to the academy and back every day. On the plus side, it enabled Naruto to live secluded from the glares of the other villagers, even if it got a tad bit lonely at times.

That and the masks were creepy as hell.

Just as he was walking through the forest, Naruto felt the familiar red energy emanating from someone from behind the trees. Hate, fear, anger, worry.

Like a deer caught in headlights, the boy stopped, gazing towards the source of such feelings. He heard the trees and leaves rustle a bit, and out came Mizuki, kunai in hand.

He abruptly stopped in front of Naruto, with a massive scroll on his shoulder. He looked murderous but faked a smile in front of Naruto. 

' Hey, Naruto! I'm in a bit of a pinch right now. Can you please take this scroll off of me for a second? It's really important.'

Naruto smirked, knowing what Mizuki was doing, but went along with it anyway. He took the scroll from the man and opened it just a bit. The first Jutsu that appeared was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. The boy briefly skimmed over the instructions and what hand seal he needed to use. He could learn this. Easy.

Unraveling the scroll a bit more, and it revealed a sealing formula. The Eight Trigrams Sealing Style. Naruto knew of the Four Trigrams, he vaguely saw it mentioned somewhere, but Eight? This was much more interesting than some knock-off academy 3 Jutsu.

' Naruto! Stop reading that! We need to go!'

' Go where?'

Mizuki stopped and turned to face the red-haired kid. Mizuki leered at him. ' Why, we're leaving the village. You want that, don't you? For being scorned for so many years by the villagers, by your peers for "no reason".'

The man leaned into Naruto's ear. ' Wouldn't you want to know why?' he whispered.

' Nah, I already know. I also know that you're a traitor, Mizuki.' The young clan head glared at the man who was still in shock. Naruto kicked the man straight in the balls, making him kneel on the ground in pain.

Who said that ninja had to play by the rules?

' Y-you demon.... go rot in fucking hell where you belong!'

Mizuki took out a kunai, and Naruto dropped the scroll, reaching for one of his paper seals. He had 3 on him: a Gravity Seal, an explosive tag, and a Chakra Draining Seal. Not enough for him to stand a chance against the skilled chunin.

Putting the pieces of paper between his fingers, Naruto was ready to strike. He ran and lunged at the man, who grappled the screaming boy, flinging him onto the ground.

It was too easy. Naruto won.

Mizuki tried to walk towards the scroll to attempt picking it up, but he couldn't move. There was a crushing pressure on his shoulders. Naruto took advantage of when he grappled him to place the gravity seal on his sleeve.

He was outsmarted by a snot-nosed brat.

' That seal should last a good 10 hours. Imma keeps the scroll though, the jutsus in here are pretty nifty.'

Mizuki's knees buckled, making the man fall face-first into the cold hard dirt. He swore he heard a vague "eat-shit" from the boy.

Lord Orochimaru will be so disappointed.

.

1 Hour Later

An Anbu eventually found him and Mizuki. The man had a tiger mask, and swiftly took the scroll away from Naruto, and tried to pick up Mizuki. After a brief explanation of the seal, the Anbu took the tag off and knocked Mizuki out. He went to T&I.

Naruto was sent back to the Hokage's office, where he got chewed out. But defeating a chunin singlehandedly earned him early graduation.

It was worth it in the end.

A.N

Comments and Criticisms are desperately needed!


	9. Chapter 9

Genin. Naruto became a genin. And he didn't even have to pass the test. This... this is a blessing from the Lord in the truest sense.

He was sure some string-pulling was involved in his graduation, but that was fine. He got there, and that's all that mattered.

As soon as he came home to the shrine, he buried his face into his bed in joy. He hoped that his mother would be proud.

Speaking of which, the Hokage gave 2 pictures of her to Naruto on his 10th birthday. He practically worshipped the woman, becoming a huge mama's boy, even if he never met her. One of the pictures was in his wallet, gamachan, and the other was in a nice frame with black ribbons hanging on it, sitting proudly on his bedside table. He always kept a small, well-watered, flower next to her picture.

Regardless, the boy was jumping for joy. He couldn't wait to become a badass ninja, saving damsels in distress and defeating enemies. He wondered who would be his jonin sensei. And his team. He hoped that Sasuke would be part of it, even if they hadn't really talked in the past few years.

He was so excited.

.

The next day, when Naruto is at the Academy

Kakashi Hatake and the Hokage were touring the houses of his future students, provided that they pass.

Sasuke Uchiha's apartment was immaculate, Sakura's home was... stressful, what with her parents fussing over everything.

And now they were standing in front of the Uzumaki Shrine.

It's been a looooong time since Kakashi has been here. They entered the place quietly. Looking around in the shrine, the creepy masks were still here, and the scrolls were laid haphazardly on the floor, with ink blotches littering the walls.

Naruto's room was unkempt and dirty, with cockroaches swarming everywhere. The only clean thing in the room was the bedside table, there was a small framed picture of Kushina. That warmed Kakashi's heart, and he smiled under his mask.

At least Sensei's son still thought about Kushina.

' So, Kakashi. What do you think about your future students? And Naruto?'

' I can't believe he's Sensei's son. He was so meticulous. And here it's... revolting.' His gaze landed on a sock on the floor that looked hard as a rock. Kakashi shuddered a bit. ' Really, what a dirty place.'

' It is. However, his work on seals is quite meticulous. I don't know who taught him, but he seems to have quite the knowledge of fuinjutsu. Could you teach him to further his interest? Chakra control as well will be useful.'

' Only if he passes.'

The Hokage burst out laughing. ' Oh, don't worry! I'm sure they'll pass.' 

' We'll see about that.'

.

Naruto was looking at Sakura. He'd be lying if he said that he didn't have a crush on her. Her pink hair was alluring to him. It wasn't the blood-red he favored the most, but it was close enough. Iruka was calling out the team names one by one.

' Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara.' A sigh of despair was heard from Ino. She wasn't on the same team as Sasuke. ' Your sensei will be Asuma Sarutobi. Team 9 is still active. Team 8: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. Your Sensei will be Kurenai Yuhi. Finally, Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno.'

Sakura jumped up in the air, pumping up her fist. Sasuke was merely brooding in a corner. Naruto looked at him for a while, until their gazes locked. Naruto widened his eyes and gave his friend the brightest smile he could. Sasuke looked away, but Naruto saw a sliver of a smirk.

' You are all to await your senseis here. When they arrive, they will be the ones to decide what to do with you. Understood?'

The class replied in unison with a resounding yes.

And so they waited. All the teams' jonin had come to pick them up, but Team 7 was still waiting. Getting bored, Naruto used an eraser with powdered chalk on it as a prank. He picked it up and placed it between the doorframe.

Sakura rebuked him for being immature, but Naruto didn't care. Let him have his fun. Half an hour later, Naruto felt someone with a deep sadness staying behind the door. He stood there for 5, 10, 15, and soon enough 60 minutes. He didn't budge once.

Naruto picked the eraser back, not wanting to pull a prank on such a sad person. It didn't sit right with him.

He was pretty sure the other person picked up on this, but Naruto was tired of waiting. He opened the door.

' Come on man! We've been waiting forever, dattebayo.'

When Naruto looked at the man, and more specifically his gray hair, he had a sense of deja vu. He felt that he knew that person from somewhere, but couldn't place where.

' Hello. I am Kakashi Hatake, your new Jonin Sensei. While we're here, let's do our introductions. Your likes, dislikes, hobbies, stuff like that. I'll go first.'

The silver-haired man grunted before starting. ' I don't feel like telling you my likes or dislikes. I don't have a future dream, and I have too many hobbies to count.'

Sakura stared at Kakashi with a non-impressed glare. ' You just told us your name!'

Their jonin shrugged. ' You, tomato-head, go first.'

' Hey! I'm not a tomato-head! My name's Naruto Uzumaki! I like instant ramen, especially ramen from Ichiraku's! I also like Sealing. I dislike the 3 minutes it takes to cook ramen and how ink droplets ruin my sealing arrays. My hobby is comparing ramen and gardening. My future dream is to become Hokage and be the best clan head ever!'

' Quite the laundry list you have there. Okay, next.'

' I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like, I mean who I like is...' A couple of minutes of her glancing at Sasuke and giggling elapsed before Sasuke spoke.

' I have many dislikes and not many likes. I don't have a dream, but I do have an ambition! Killing a certain man.'

Wow, so edgy, Naruto thought.

' Well, that's all well and good. Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow at 6 o'clock sharp. And don't eat any breakfast.'

The other two left but Naruto stayed staring at Kakashi. The man looked down at him, locking gazes with him. They stayed like this for a short while, before Naruto got up and walked away. Was he... wary? Of him?

Oh well.

.

Naruto was in a frenzy. On the floor of the shrine, he was making as many seals as humanly possible. He was pumped and he needed to be ready for tomorrow.

All the storage scrolls, gravity seals, and paralysis seals you could want. A couple of explosive tags were hidden here and there.

He had to go to bed early as well.

.

Training grounds

After having waited for 4 hours (4! Can you believe that?), Hatake finally arrived.

In the back were three wooden posts, with the man himself on top of one of them.

' Yo.' He waved at them. Waved!

Sakura and Naruto gave him a piece of their mind before he resumed talking. ' I have two bells. Try to take these from me. You have until noon. In other words, at least someone from this group will be sent back to the academy. Start!'

The other two left, leaving Naruto all by himself. He knew where Sasuke was, as he could sense the guilt, sadness, and most importantly the jealousy emanating from him. Kakashi was right in front of him, and he would be able to know where he is at all times.

Naruto started getting into one of the Uzumaki Clan's taijutsu-style formations: the Uzumaku Karada (Swirling Body). This taijutsu style is primarily based on spinning one's body at high movements, whether be it the arms, legs, or entire body. Momentum is key.

Naruto rolled on the ball of his left foot, and started spinning and spinning, before delivering a round-house kick to the jonin's face.

The man blocked it, of course, but he also ignored the REAL reason behind the taijutsu style: to place a seal on a person as fast as possible. By spinning, you could place a new tag every second on a person, even if it made you dizzy.

Naruto placed a gravity seal and a paralysis seal on him.

' Impressive, but not good enough.' Hatake thought.

Kakashi simply took a kunai out and cut the paper tags off of his body before the seal activated. Timing is important.

' Damn it!' 

Naruto repeated the same thing, but to no avail.

' Maa maa... are you really taking this seriously? Sure doesn't look like it, Naruto.'

The redheaded boy huffed. God, he looked so much like Kushina. It was almost sickening how the two were so alike. It's like Minato's genes were completely overpowered by the woman. At least he had the same eyes as him.

Naruto took out a sealing scroll from his pouch and opened it. Out came a sword with a big plume of smoke. It was an old, rusty thing, but it would get the job done.

Naruto rushed at Kakashi and jumped in the air, aiming his blade straight to his head.

Kakashi punched Naruto in the gut, hard.

The boy almost vomited, and rolled on the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi spotted Sasuke hiding behind a tree. He threw some shuriken at him, impaling his right side.

Or should've, if he hadn't substituted his body with a log.

Even if he was going to send the kids back to the academy, he might as well have fun with them.

.

An hour later

Naruto was panting, out of breath. That jonin was too elusive for his own good.

Sakura tried a measly genjutsu to try and help, which utterly failed. Sasuke used a fire Jutsu and shuriken, but no cigar.

Naruto even used some of those shadow clones, but it didn't work. Wait!

Shadow clones...

Naruto had a brilliant idea. He summoned a couple of clones and started writing a seal with his trusty ink pouch and scraps of paper. A simple explosive tag.

Naruto knew exactly where Kakashi was, hiding on top of a tree.

With the shadow clones, he ran towards the man and found him reading some porn book.

' Hey, dumbass! Get off your high... uh, branch! Yeah, branch! And come down here!'

The teacher complied, and Naruto and his clones rushed him. Kakashi was not scared, as he knew the drill by now: Naruto will attack with his clones first, then finally himself. He just had to dispel the others.

Kakashi kicked the clone, but it didn't dispel. So it was the real one? Just behind Naruto was another clone, who had... an explosive tag on his chest?

The real Naruto smiled.

' Boo.'

The tag lit up and detonated.

It scared the daylights out of Kakashi, and he had to shunshin away while saving Naruto, grabbing him by his collar. They landed a safe distance away, and the redheaded boy flopped on the ground.

' D-damn it!' He punched the ground. ' I was sure that that would work.'

Kakashi was feeling a mixture of many emotions. On one hand, he was very impressed, on the other he was pissed at his recklessness. He could have gotten badly injured.

Checking his watch, it was already noon. Sighing, he took a rope and hogtied Naruto to one of the wooden posts. What a shame. He'll give the team one last chance to prove themselves as a team.

Sakura and Sasuke walked out of the woods and sat down next to the wooden posts. Kakashi handed them some bento boxes.

' Eat up, you'll be able to try again after lunch. Don't feed Naruto, however. If you do, I'll fail you all.'

He left and observed them from the shadows. It took a good 5 minutes, but they eventually shared their food with Naruto.

He would treasure their faces when he said that they passed for years to come.

.

Kakashi walked into a bar that many of the jonin from Konoha frequented. He saw Asuma and Kurenai.

Asuma waved him over. ' Yo, Kakashi! Failed your genins today?'

Kakashi gave him an eye smile. ' Nope. Team 7 will be taking their first mission Monday.'


End file.
